Chapter-1, Verses 7-11

Verse 1:7- 1:11

दुर्योधन उवाच 

अस्माकं तु विशिष्टा ये तान्निबोध द्विजोत्तम।

नायका मम सैन्यस्य संज्ञार्थं तान्ब्रवीमि ते ॥7॥

Duryodhana said:

"O best of the twice born Brahmanas, for your information I am now naming those specially qualified among us to lead our armies."

Duryodhana is informing his teacher Dronacarya, reminding him for his information that he should also know and be fully aware of all the leaders and commanders of the Kaurava army.

भवान्भीष्मश्च कर्णश्च कृपश्च समितिञ्जयः ।

अश्वत्थामा विकर्णश्च सौमदत्तिस्तथैव च ॥8॥

"Yourself, Bhishma, Karna, the ever victorious Kripa, Ashvathama, and Vikarna, Bhurisrava and Jayadratha the Kng of Sindhu."

The most powerful commanders are being named now. Samjitinjayah 

means always victorious in battle. This applies to Drona and Bhishmadeva and all the warriors named herein. The sons of Somadatta were known as 

Bhurishravas.

अन्ये च बहवः शूरा मदर्थे त्यक्तजीविताः।

नानाशस्त्रप्रहरणाः सर्वे युद्धविशारदाः ॥9॥

"All of them, equipped with many weapons and skilled in military planning, are ready to lay their lives for my sake as are many other heroes."

Duryodhana further states that many other powerful heroes as well are all determined to lay down their lives for the attainment of his purpose. They are all formidable in battle as well.

अपर्याप्तं तदस्माकं बलं भीष्माभिरक्षितम्।

पर्याप्तं त्विदमेतेषां बलं भीमाभिरक्षितम् ॥10॥

"Our army protected by the strength of Bhishma is unlimited; but the army of Pandavas protected by the strength of Bhima is limited."

Now the question arises that if the armies on both sides were equal in might, how is it possible that victory is assured? Duryodhana gives the answer in this verse by using the word 

aparyantam in the sense of being unlimited.

अयनेषु च सर्वेषु यथाभागमवस्थिताः।

भीष्ममेवाभिरक्षन्तु भवन्तः सर्व एव हि ॥11॥

"All of you must fully protect Bhishma foremost at all strategic points situated in your respective formations."

Duryodhana to conceal his fear exclaims that his army is unlimited and moreover they are protected by Bhishma who is the most intelligent and a maha-ratha; whereas the Pandava army protected by Bhima of less intelligence is limited. This is why the Kaurava victory is assured

So Duryodhana faced with the feeling of inadequacy reflects what is to be done? In this verse he replies that all of his army situated in their respective strategic points in their various positions must support and protect Bhishma very carefully, who is the commander of the army. It is understood that where the commander is protected the army is protected.

Chapter-1, Verses 1-6

Verses 1:1 to 1.6

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच।

धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः।

मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ॥1॥

Dhritrashtra said: 

“O Sanjaya, what did my sons desirous of battle and the sons of Pandu do after assembling at the Holy land of Kurukshetra?”

Chapter one introduces the scene, the setting, the circumstances and the characters involved determining the reasons for the Bhagavad-Gita’s revelation. The scene is the sacred plain of Kuruksetra. The setting is a battlefield. The circumstances is war. The main characters are the Supreme Lord Krishna and Prince Arjuna, witnessed by four million soldiers led by their respective military commanders. After naming the principal warriors on both sides, Arjuna’s growing dejection is described due to the fear of losing friends and relatives in the course of the impending war and the subsequent sins attached to such actions.

In this very first verse of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita beginning with dharma- ksetra-kuru-ksetra, Lord Krishna  has used this narrative form: assembled in the place of righteousness Kuruksetra etc, to properly introduce the location, the action and the theme. Thereafter when King Dhritarastra in Hastinapura asks his minister, Sanjaya who had received clairvoyance by the grace of Krishna as to what happened on the battlefield, Sanjaya related all the events exactly as they happened by having the clairvoyant ability to witness them directly within his mind as if he was there present. Lord Krishna, to properly introduce their dialogue begins with the narrative form with: having seen the army of the sons of Pandu etc. After this until the end of the chapter the subtle intricacies of duty are delineated. 

सञ्जय उवाच।

दृष्ट्वा तु पाण्डवानीकं व्यूढं दुर्योधनस्तदा।

आचार्यमुपसङ्गम्य राजा वचनमब्रवीत् ॥2॥

Sanjay said:

“At that time King Duryodhana after seeing the army of Pandavas arranged in a military phalanx approaching near his respected teacher Dronacharya, said these words.”

Sanjaya who was righteous by nature could understand the actual internal mood of Dhritarastra; but to appease his anxiety that his sons would never give back half of the kingdom he said this verse beginningdrstva tu 

pandavanikam vyudham...the soldiers of the Pandavas are in military formation. The initiative taken by Duryodhana in approaching his preceptor in archery, the master bowman Drona shows that internally he was feeling fearful at the sight of the Pandavas might. So with the pretence of going to offer respect, he approached Drona to conceal this fear. The word raja meaning king indicates that Duryodhana was very expert in the diplomacy of politics and the use of the word vacanam 

implies that he would speak terse sentences filled with heavy import concerning the subject of war. 

दुर्योधन उवाच

पश्यैतां पाण्डुपुत्राणामाचार्य महतीं चमूम्।

व्यूढां द्रुपदपुत्रेण तव शिष्येण धीमता ॥3॥

Duryodhana said:

“Respected Guru, behold the mighty army of the Pandavas arranged in military phalanx, by your intelligent disciple Dhrstadyumna, the son of Drupada”

Duryodhana is fearful that Drona might decline to fight in the battle, out of affection for the Pandavas who had been his best disciples. So trying to create some anger in Drona towards them, Duryodhana sneered and exclaimed pasyaitam: 

Behold these! Implying that the Pandavas are despicable because they are blatantly disrespecting the Guru by choosing to fight against their own him. 

दुर्योधन उवाच

अत्र शूरा महेष्वासा भीमार्जुनसमा युधि ।

युयुधानो विराटश्च द्रुपदश्च महारथः॥4॥

धृष्टकेतुश्चेकितानः काशिराजश्च वीर्यवान् ।

पुरुजित्कुन्तिभोजश्च शैब्यश्च नरपुङ्गवः॥5॥

युधामन्युश्च विक्रान्त उत्तमौजाश्च वीर्यवान् ।

सौभद्रो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्व एव महारथाः॥6॥

Duryodhana said:

"In these military formations are great bowmen equal to Bhim and Arjun in battle, such as Satyaki, King Virat and the mighty warrior Drupad."

Dhrstketu, Cekitana, the powerful King of Kasi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and King Saibya are the noblest amongst men."

"The valiant Udhamanyu, the courageous Uttamauja, Abhimanyu the son of Subhadra, and the sons of Draupadi, are all mighty chariot warriors."

Duryodhana is describing the key warriors in the Pandava’s army to his warrior-guru Drona. Those who were wielders of mighty bows were known as mighty-bowed. Bhima and Arjuna were two exceptionally famous warriors. There were other heroes equally famous in the Pandava army. They are being mentioned from verse 4 to verse 6. They are all maharathis. A maha-rathi is a warrior so perfected in the science of weaponry that he can fight alone against 11,000 bowmen all at the same time and not be defeated. An atirathi is so expert that he can fight alone against many innumerable bowmen at the same time and not be defeated. A rathi is he who can fight against one bowman at the same time and not be defeated and he who cannot fight successfully against even one bowman is called a half- rathi.